Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life as a Fabulous Ronette [Paperback]

Ronnie Spector (Author), Vince Waldron (Author), Billy Joel (Introduction), Cher (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

Ronnie and Phil Spector made music history with the Ronettes, but as Phil's creative powers began to wane, their marriage soured. He became increasingly reclusive and violent, and Ronnie's life became a constant battle to fend off madness--both his and her own.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lead singer for the Ronettes, one of the better so-called "girl groups" of the 1960s, Spector provides an insider's look at the madness and glamour of an explosive period in rock music. Much of the book revolves around her relationship with Phil Spector, the star-making producer whose "Wall of Sound" concept revolutionized recording studio technique. According to the singer, her husband was obsessed with control, keeping her a virtual prisoner in his mansion for nearly five years before she broke free to reestablish a life and career of her own. Now remarried with two children, and having met with success in her struggle against alcoholism, the singer, aided by freelance writer Waldron, reminisces with apparent objectivity. Her candor, amid the recent rash of tell-all books by aging rock stars, is refreshing and puts Be My Baby a cut above the standard self-serving, bonkers-and-back autobiography. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451411536
• ISBN-13: 978-0451411532
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,240,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating & most touching. Highly recommended!, May 8, 2000

By 

Ralph Blakey (Lopez Island, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be My Baby (Audio Cassette)

For many people in their 40's and 50's, like me, The Ronettes were, and still are, the best girl group ever. Some consider "Be My Baby" the best 45 of all time, but "Walking In The Rain" is still my favorite. Ronnie Spector has shared an amazing, fascinating, and touching story. This tape is, unfortunately, abridged and the book is out of print. Ronnie Spector is a far better singer than a reader. What you get here, however, is the person who lived this story, reading it. Reading the tragic and emotional parts, you can hear her voice crack, and you know there are tears running down her face. If read by a professional reader or actor, this emotion would be lost. The tradeoff is well worth it. To write this book and then read it herself, seems rather courageous. You won't soon forget this story, or the tears in her voice. Ronnie Spector is a whole lot more than eyeliner and big hair.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth 10 Stars-Required Reading for Ronnie Spector Fans!, February 5, 2003

By 

Kim K. (Bayonne, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette (Hardcover)

This book is even more timely to read now that Ronnie's ex-hubby Phil Spector was arrested the other day for the murder of a woman in his house. It gives great insight not only into Ronnie's life story and rise to stardom but also into Phil's personality and temperament. While there is absolutely no doubt of Phil's musical genius, the man was(and possibly still is)mentally unstable(he claims to be bipolar and does not like to take his meds). I first bought and read this book when it first came out years ago but it is still a great read, one of the very best rock-bios around. It is also a great companion piece to Darlene Love's autobiography. If you are a fan of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, both books are essential reading. Very highly recommended.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book to read!, February 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette (Paperback)

This book is all about the life of Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the popular 1960's group the Ronettes. Here she tells her story of her life growing up in New York to her early days as a singer and her tumultuous marriage to producer Phil Spector. This is a very interesting autobiography and Ronnie does a super job of describing the events and people that changed her life as well as what the music industry was like back in the 60's. And she tells her story without any bitterness or resentment. You can tell that Ronnie is a real classy lady with a kind heart and a winning personality. After reading this book, one really feels like they know who Ronnie Spector is, just like she was an old friend. You really see Ronnie as a human being and understand her instead of just thinking of her as a pretty face on a record cover or a fantastic voice on a record. Buy this book today and read for yourself. The foreword was written by Cher and the introduction was written by Billy Joel. Also included are a lot of nice pictures of Ronnie as well as the Ronettes, her family and some of the people she's met. Highly recommended!